Dry cool fronts Sunday and Monday followed by stronger storm Thursday
Friday, May 12, 2017
A large storm currently off the British Columbia coast will be reinforced by an upstream Pacific wave moving over a ridge of high pressure centered in the Gulf of Alaska, forcing a series of cold fronts to move across the Great Basin this week. Earlier in the season, the cold fronts would have had more of an impact on the weather in the Steamboat Springs area, but now, the stronger warming associated with longer days and higher sun angles will reduce the strength of the fronts as they penetrate inland.
Ahead of the first cool front timed for Sunday, pleasant weather for today and Saturday may be interrupted by a chance of afternoon storms, most likely over the higher elevations.
While the bulk of the effects of the first cool front will be shunted to our northwest, we should see a few degrees of cooling for Sunday along with dry and breezy conditions.
Dry air will persist for Monday when a second wave, crossing the West Coast further south along southern California, brings another seasonable day with breezy afternoon conditions.
The dry air that was over our region on Sunday and Monday will be pushed southward by the front, bringing a chance of showers for Tuesday.
By Wednesday, the parent storm crosses the Pacific Northwest coast and moves into the Great Basin. There is model disagreement with respect to the storm’s strength and southern extent, but we may feel its effects as soon as later Wednesday when a stronger front with associated showers is advertised to push through our region.
Unsettled weather with much cooler temperatures is a good bet for at least Thursday and Friday as the the storm slowly moves across the Great Basin and over our area.
